Spring-wheel.



0. C. REISTE.

SPRING WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

-w @Nw noauto@ .wif/weones THE NORRIS PETERS C0.. PHDTO-LITHO, WASHINGTON. D C

oLIvEn o. REIsTE, oEMoUNT rnEAsANr, Iowa.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Application led July 30, 1914.

T0 all whom it may concern: i

Be it vknown that I, OLIVER C. REISTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and StateV of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SpringWheels; and do declare the following tovbe a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vehicle wheels and more especially to that class of the same which are in themselves resilient and therefore do not necessitate the use of pneumatic tires. l

Oneobject ofmy invention isto provide a resilient wheel of this character inwhich the spokes thereof are permitted 'to have a free longitudinal movement so that the wheel will readilyV yield under jars and consequently give all the advantages ofthe pneumatic tire, without its accompanying disadvantages. y

Another object of the same is to provide a simple means to limit the longitudinal movement 0f said spokes.

A further object of my invention is to construct the spokes in such a manner as to make the outer portion thereof more resilient than that of the inner.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists of certain details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts which will be more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are designated by corresponding numerals: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheel; the latter being shown partly in section; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof taken on the. line 2-2 of Fig. l.

My invention in its present embodiment comprises a hub 1 having a central octagonal shaped enlargement 2, forming oppositely disposed annular shoulders 3.

Plates 4f are mounted upon the hub l, and are suitably spaced by the shoulder 3 against which they bear. rThe plates Ll are provided with an annular series of apertures 5, the purpose of which will be hereinafter referred to.

Radially projecting from the hub 1 are a plurality of resilient spokes 6, the latter being formed in four parts and consisting of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June i5, isis.

Serial No. 854,072.

the inner gradually tapering leaf springs 7 contiguously disposed and extending radially from the hub 1 to within a short distance of the rim 8; and the outer gradually tapering supplemental or reinforcing leaf springs 9, which are situated on opposite sides of the springs 7 and extend from the hub l to a point slightly beyond the center of said plates 7, as clearly shown in Fig. l. By tapering the springs 7 and 9 as set forth, the spokes 6 will have a gradually increasing resiliency from one extremity to the other,rwhile the extreme outer portion 9 of the spokes not having reinforcing means is highly resilientand will readily yield under the slightest pressure.

ln order to maintainthe spokes (i in their proper spaced relation 'tl-shaped blocks 10 are placed between the plates 3 and interposed between the spokes. These blocks are held in their adjusted position by the transversely disposed bolts 11 extending therethrough and through openings 5 in said plates Said bolts being held in position by the nuts l threaded on one end thereof.

The rim 8 of my improved wheel is provided with the usual tire channels 1-1 to receive a suitable solid tire 15. Riveted to and' projecting inwardly from the lower surface of the rim 8 are the two suitably spaced flanges 18 which are right angular in cross sectional area and co-act with the rim 8 to form an annular compartment which receives the outer portion of the spokes 6 as will be hereinafter described.

Arranged between the plates 13 and mounted upon the transversely extending bolts 16 are the antifriction rollers 17, said rollers being disposed in pairs which latter are arranged in spaced relation around the annular compartment formed by said flanges. The rollers of each pair are suiiiciently spaced to admit the outer portion 9 of each of the spokes 6 and permit the same I provide the conveXly bowed leaf springs 18. To maintain the springs 1S in a properly bowed position, they are formed with the outwardly projecting tongues 19, which latter fit into the suitably spaced sockets or seats 2O formed in the inner surface of the rim 8.

In the operation of my improved wheel if a weight is applied to the hub 1, the latter will move downwardly causing the outer portion of the spokes` 6 which are directly above and below the hub to be moved between the rollers 17 until checked by the bowed spring 18. Consequently, until said spokes contact with the aforementioned bowed spring, there is practically no resistance to the downward movement of the hub. This downward movement will be checked, however, by the horizontally disposed spokes which, owing to their disposition with respect to the vertically disposed spokes will exercise a counteracting influence upon the longitudinal movement of the latter.

Therefore, from the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a wheel which isv simple, easily constructed and one which, although using a solid tire, nevertheless, gives all the advantages derived from the utilization of the pneumatic tire.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings7 the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

be resorted to'without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe 'claimed invention.

I claim as my invention:

Atv-heel of the character specified comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes projecting radially therefrom comprising inner and outer resilient plates, the former having a gradual taper from the inner to the outer extremities thereof, the latter having their outer extremities terminating at a point on said inner plates spaced from the outer eX- tremities thereof whereby to Aaugment, the resiliency of said spokes, a rim, flanges secured in `spaced relation to the inner surface of said rim and projecting inwardly therefrom whereby to envelop the outer portion of said spokes, a pair of yanti-friction rollers transversely disposed between said flanges opposite the free ends of each of said spokes, said rollers being spaced circumferentially to receive thetapered `portion'of the latter whereby to permit longitudinal movement on the part of the same, and means disposed on the under surface of said rim contiguous to the outer extremity of said spokes whereby to counteract the movement of the` latter substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myV hand in presence of two subscribing wit l IIBSSGS.

`\ itnesses EARL-Human, J. O. BROWN.

OLIVER c. nnisrn.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by aidressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, ID. C. 

